The Wild Years
by jayfeather12345
Summary: For May, the University of Gala is an escape. For Misty, it's a chance to be more than anyone ever thought she could be. For Dawn, it's the key to making all her dreams come true. For Leaf, it's a way to pretend she's something she's not. They say your uni years are the best years of your life... but you have to be strong enough to survive the fallout. Not everyone is.
1. Small Town Girl

**Chapter One**

_**~ Small Town Girl ~**_

"Look, can we talk about this later? I have to get to the Gym."

May winced at the edge in her father's tone. She had ventured downstairs for a glass of milk, but upon hearing the raised voices she paused on the other side of the kitchen wall.

"You always have to get to the Gym, Norman."

Her mother sounded tired.

"That's the job of a Gym Leader, Caroline. You're always on call, it's like… like raising a child. You have to be available for whenever they need you."

"Yes, your Gym is exactly like a child. It's almost more of your child than your own children actually are, in that it sucks up more of your attention than they ever have."

May couldn't listen to this anymore. She set a smile onto her face and walked briskly towards the kitchen door, stomping her feet a little louder than usual to announce her presence.

But no-one seemed to hear.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Norman was demanding as May pushed the ajar door wide open.

"What does what mean?" May asked innocently.

Norman sighed, welcoming his daughter with a weary smile. "Nothing darling. How's my little girl this fine evening? Not planning on staying up too late, I hope. You need your beauty sleep if you're going to become a great Gym Leader one day. Happy trainer, happy pokémon, as they say."

"Of course daddy," May replied sweetly.

"Did you need anything, honey?" asked her mother, who appeared to be ignoring her father completely now.

"Just some milk."

"Oh I'll get it, you wait there," Caroline offered quickly.

May wondered when the warmth in her mother's voice had last been used on her father, and when had it become reserved for only her and Max.

As Caroline went to the fridge, Norman picked up his coat from the back of the chair it had been slung over.

"Are you going out?" May asked, trying to sound like she didn't already know the answer.

"I got a call from Tony. Some of the pokémon are restless after yesterday's defeat and he thinks I should go in to calm them," Norman responded as he buttoned the coat.

"It's almost as if your dad hasn't had all day to coddle them," Caroline interjected as she handed May a glass of milk, her tone layered with poisonous sugar.

Norman didn't spare his wife a single glance. "You'll understand when you take over one day, May. Gym Leader is a demanding job, but worth it. There's nothing as rewarding as raising a single team of pokémon who become as close to you as family, and being able to guide talented trainers on their journeys not only to become strong enough to battle in the big leagues but to find themselves along the way."

Caroline snorted quietly and looked away. She muttered under her breath something May was sure she wasn't supposed to hear: "It's not like you have a family at home, or two young trainers who need your help discovering themselves."

For the first time, May noticed the empty bottle of wine on the counter, and the glass on the drying rack still dripping soapy water. She gave her father a noncommittal response, hugged him goodbye, hugged her mother goodnight, and took her glass of milk back upstairs – where she wiped away the tears before they could form.

* * *

It was the doorbell that woke May the next morning. Blurry-eyed, she reached for her phone to check the time.

9:17am.

The doorbell rang again, insistent and unrelenting. She groaned. Her father would be at the Gym by now, her mother at her _Pilates with Pokémon_ class.

May sighed. She rolled slowly out of bed, like jelly sliding to the floor in red cotton pyjamas. She sat there a moment, leaning against the bed, shivering in the freshness of the air. Until the doorbell rang _again_.

Where was Max?

"I'm coming!" she shouted, despite knowing that whoever it was wouldn't hear her. She picked herself up, grumbling under her breath.

When the bell rang a fourth time, it was like a fuse lit under her arse and she jumped into motion, thundering down the stairs and tearing the front door open like a maniac.

On her doorstep stood the last person she had expected to see: Professor Birch, clad in a spotless lab coat which had been buttoned wrong, beaming from ear to hear – so different was his disposition to his usual collected manner that May almost didn't notice his son (and her bestest friend in the whole world) hovering behind him.

Upon spotting Brendan, May was suddenly extremely aware of the fact she was clothed only in a pair of very thin pyjamas.

"May!" Professor Birch burst out before May could overcome her surprise. "So sorry for dropping in on you like this – oh dear, I hope I didn't wake you – but I couldn't wait! I have such exciting news! May I come in?"

May blinked. "O-oh, yes, please, come in," she stuttered, standing back to let her neighbours pass by. "Um, do you want anything to drink? Coffee, tea? Milk?"

"Tea would be great," Birch said, seeming to calm down now that he was inside.

"Er, coffee, if you're making one," Brendan added, offering May a sympathetic smile. "Sorry about Dad, he's a bit overexcited."

"No problem," May responded, getting over her initial surprise. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. I'll just make the drinks, I could do with a coffee myself," she added with a little laugh.

Once they were all settled in the living room with their steaming hot drinks, May leaned forward, facing Birch and Brendan across the coffee table. "Is everything okay, Professor? I'm afraid my parents are both out, but if there's anything I can help you with…?"

"Actually, it is you I wanted to talk to," Birch replied, seeming to have composed himself in the time it had taken to make the drinks. "You see, I just got off the phone with the Chancellor of the University of Gala – you have heard of UG, haven't you?"

May nodded. "My dad mentioned it. It's a relatively new university, isn't it, but it's rising fast in both academic and competitive ranks. Dad said it's becoming a contender for Unoenn."

"Unoenn?" Brendan asked, unimpressed.

"You don't know Unoenn?" May gasped. "They're the top universities in the whole world, based in Unova and Hoenn respectively. Have you been living under a rock?"

"No," Brendan scoffed, "I just don't pay attention to uni gossip. Everyone knows you only go to uni if you have no ambition and don't know what to do with your life, so you go to uni to 'find yourself' or whatever, but all you leave with is a mountain of debt and no way to get into whatever field you've decided you want to pursue because all the open places have been snapped up by people who dive straight into their career after school to learn on the job instead of wasting three years at an institution whose only purpose is to milk you for more money than you'll ever make."

May stared at Brendan, mouth agape. She had never heard him be so negative about anything.

His father also stared at him, extremely disapproving.

"Brendan, we've been over this. It's a unique opportunity which most people would be lucky to get. You learn skills you won't learn anywhere else and get to experience things most trainers can only dream of."

Brendan leaned back into the sofa, nearly spilling his toffee-coloured drink on the dirty white cushions. "Name one Champion who started their career fresh out of uni," he challenged.

May frowned. "That's different. Most Champions start their career at eleven and never attend school. They train with their pokémon all day every day, and that's why they become the best. But not everyone makes it, even then – it's incredibly risky, my dad always says, because if you go to all those lengths and still don't make it to champion, then you have nothing – no education, not enough skills to make it as a good trainer because you missed out on the pokémon classes in school too – and you'll be stuck leeching off your parents the rest of your life."

Brendan muttered something under his breath that May was glad she didn't catch.

Professor Birch smiled warmly at May. "Exactly! Anyway, we've gotten off topic… the reason I burst in on you like this, is that the Chancellor of UG offered me a position teaching there! And when I said, I wasn't sure if I could leave my son behind, he said he would be delighted if I brought Brendan with me!"

May smiled, but a little of her excitement melted away. It wasn't until then that she realised how enthusiastic all this discussion of university had made her. "Congratulations," she said. "That's amazing, Professor."

"It is, but that's not all. I mentioned that my neighbour is the Leader of Petalburg Gym, and the Chancellor's interest was piqued! One thing led to another, and… well, let's just say, there's a place for you at UG if you want it!"

May almost choked on her coffee. Hurriedly she placed the mug on a coaster, and tried to formulate words as she stared at Birch in disbelief. "I- I- I don't know what to say," she admitted.

"Just don't say you're actually considering this," Brendan interjected.

May frowned. "Why not?"

"Well, you want to take over Norman's job one day, don't you? The best way to train for that is out in the real world, not stuck in some snobby excuse for an institution of 'learning'."

"Brendan," tutted Birch before turning back to May. "You can take as much time as you need to think about it – but you will need to make a decision before the end of the week, I'm afraid. UG is rising in academic status and spots are ever more limited. I don't think I need to remind you that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

May nodded. Then the frown returned to her brow. "But… I didn't exactly get good grades in school. Won't they care about that?"

"Well, normally, yes, but… right, if I tell you this then you must promise never to repeat it," Birch said confidentially, leaning forward.

"I promise," May replied, leaning forward herself.

Brendan rolled his eyes, and kept sipping his coffee.

"The Chancellor told me that the skill level in pokémon training of applicants this year was below average. Most children of Champions and Battle Masters and Gym Leader and the like are going to Unoenn, understandably, but if UG wants to stand a chance in the University Leagues this year, that's the calibre of students it needs. So, upon my mentioning you… let's just say they are very keen to snap you up, regardless of school grades." Birch sat back with a wink, but May sat back more slowly.

Fortunately, May was saved from an immediate response by the abrupt arrival of her brother.

"Did I just hear that right? Boy, UG must be desperate if it's begging _May_ to attend."

"Max, lovely to see you," Birch greeted the sixteen year old. "You must know that if you were older, I have no doubt you would be offered this same opportunity. Alas, this is the way things are."

"I'm sure," Max responded dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. "But _I_ have no doubt that if UG knew what a waste of space May is, they wouldn't want her anywhere near their precious reputation. Are you sure they asked for the right Maple? Our names do begin with the same letter and are both one syllable, it would be easy to get us confused."

Birch chuckled. "Don't be so harsh on your sister. She shows great promise as a trainer."

May wasn't so sure. Max had always been much better at handling pokémon than she ever had been. She had just never managed to bond with Torchic in the same way that Mx had bonded with his Swampert. And he had a whole team now, whereas May only had Torchic. She had given up on telling herself that tomorrow was the day she would venture out to Route 101 and catch her first new pokémon.

But, having always been inexplicably competitive with her know-it-all younger brother, his attitude now pressed all the wrong buttons and she found herself firing back at him with all guns blazing.

"Oh, I'm sure with the high level of teaching at UG I'll excel in every class. I'll show them they've chosen the right Maple, mark my words Max."

Birch turned back to May happily. "So you accept?"

"Yes," May said firmly, determination oozing from every pore.

Birch then turned to Brendan. "See? You don't want to get left behind, do you?"

May looked at him pleadingly. "Please come, Brendan. I don't know what I'd do with you you."

Brendan sighed, and sat up. "Fine," he grumbled. "I'll go. But only because I don't want May to have to do this alone. I still don't think uni is good for anything."

"Excellent!" Birch beamed, clapping his hands together. "Now ale we have to do is tell your parents, May!"

Max sniggered. "Good luck with that, I can't imagine them every saying yes to their little girl travelling to the other side of the world for uni when she's never even gone further than Petalburg."

May sipped her coffee silently. The enormity of what she had agreed to just began to sink in. The University of Gala was in _Gala_. A whole new region, with new pokémon and new people and her parents not a call away, but a_ phone_ call away.

Still, she found solace in the fact that at least Brendan would be with her. Brendan, the boy who'd been her best friend since they were little, and who never let her down.

* * *

**A/N:** In case you're curious, 'Unoenn' is supposed to be pronounced like 'Unknown' (a pun on both the pokemon and the word lol).

Also I got inspired for this fic while watching Fresh Meat (a Netflix series about uni students in England, it's hilarious and really well-written, and as a British uni student myself I related to it at lot; I definitely recommend watching!)

Although the fic technically follows May as a main character, it will also delve deep into the stories of the other 'core' characters: Misty, Ash, Drew, Dawn, Paul, Gary, and Leaf - and a few more besides.

I hope you stick with it!

_~ Jay_


	2. This is Who You'll Be Living With

**Chapter Two**

**_~ This is Who You'll Be Living With For One Whole Year ~_**

Misty settled into the sofa, sitting deep into the cream-coloured cushions. She would be here a while.

Although not the first to arrive at the residence the University of Gala had put her into, she had soon discovered the house was currently empty. Whoever had arrived before her had just had enough time to pick a room (and Misty had seen instantly that it was the best room in the house – closest to both the stairs and bathroom on the first floor – so whoever it was clearly knew what they were doing), unpack, make a cup of tea, drink it, and leave the cup next to the sink before going out again.

But Misty didn't mind. This way, she could size up everyone who crossed the threshold from her comfy spot on the well-worn sofa, and she could judge whether they were worth getting to know or not. Anyone who looked like they might cause trouble could be ignored without too much awkwardness, as she could pretend to be absorbed in her book; anyone who looked like a serious trainer could be greeted amicably from the ease of her chosen location.

Additionally, everyone would see the spot she had claimed as her own and her well-oiled resting bitch face would warn them not to challenge her.

Her arrival could not have been smoother.

A little while passed before the clunk of a key turning in the lock alerted Misty to the arrival of the first new housemate.

Placing a thumb firmly on the page she had been devouring, she glanced towards the door through her eyelashes, intending to observe the newcomer and make her judgements before she was herself observed. The open plan of the house allowed for this perfectly: the front door opened into a little 'hallway' lined with open-backed shelving than divided the living room from the kitchen, and led directly to the staircase. There was a downstairs loo to the side of the staircase, but apart from that you could see almost everywhere from nearly every spot downstairs.

Nevertheless, when two people entered the house, both without suitcases or any sort of luggage, Misty's plan dissipated into dust that embedded itself into the thick grey rug under her feet. This was something she hadn't been expecting, hadn't planned for, and suddenly she was in the one place she had told herself to avoid at all costs: unprepared and lacking any power whatsoever.

It was on Misty to regain control of the situation as quickly as possible, so she cast aside her plan and called out, "Hello," from her vantage point while the two newcomers slipped off their shoes by the doormat.

"Oh, hi," replied the woman who had entered first. She was tall and slim, with long, dyed pink hair. As she walked into the living room to greet Misty, it was clear she was confident and not in the least worried about moving into student accommodation and meeting new people. Misty could tell from just a glance that she was self-assured and not someone to trifle with. She gave off an air of maturity and sense, and Misty felt an inexplicable urge to become this woman's friend. "You must be one of my new housemates," the woman continued in a friendly voice. "I'm Solidad, it's nice to meet you."

"I'm Misty, it's nice to meet you too," Misty responded, for some reason deciding that it was polite to stand up and offer Solidad her hand.

Solidad smiled and took Misty's hand, giving it a firm but gentle shake. Misty was somewhat lost for words; Solidad was not the kind of person Misty had expected to be living with, at all.

"If you don't mind I need to pop up to my room, but I'll be back in a minute. I look forward to getting to know you," Solidad said, easing the awkwardness Misty felt. "This is my friend, Drew. He doesn't live here, don't worry. You won't have to put up with his attitude for long." She finished with a light laugh, and Misty glanced at the person who had followed Solidad in. He looked younger than Solidad – he looked almost baby-faced next to her, short and stout – and he glared at Solidad's affectionate jab. As the older woman glided (yes, Misty was certain she was _gliding_) up the stairs, Drew walked into the kitchen.

"Want anything?" Drew asked.

Misty didn't know what to make of Drew, but now that Solidad had left, her wits returned to her. "What are you making?"

"Green tea. But if you want coffee or anything…?"

"Coffee, please. Black, no sugar."

Misty sat back down as Drew put the kettle on, and picked up her book. But then she thought about how she would have lots of time to be antisocial later, and so she decided to attempt conversation. "So, are you a student?"

Drew's back was to her as he withdrew three mugs from the cupboard. He raised his voice so she could hear his answer.

"Yes, I actually live next door, in Corviknight."

"Oh. I didn't think all the uni housing would be close together. It's just for students who don't apply for in halls accommodation in time, right?"

"Yeah. Corviknight and Barraskewda are exceptions, according to Solidad. There are a few other residences owned by UG but they're more spread out."

"So we got lucky, huh? More people to socialise with who don't live with us so we probably won't come to hate."

Drew chuckled. The kettle stopped screaming, and he began pouring the drinks. "That's one way to see it."

"What's another way to see it?" Misty asked as he carried two of the steaming mugs to the coffee table, placing the coffee in front of Misty and his own to the left side of the little wooden table, sitting down on the tail of the L-shaped sofa.

"If you ask Solidad, she'll say more people equals more parties. You might not be the party type, and Solidad and I might not be party types, but you can bet eighty per cent of the type of people over both our houses will be party types. That's just a fact of uni life," said Drew, sitting back with a shrug.

Misty gazed longingly at the steam rising from her coffee. She hadn't had a caffeine hit yet, having spent all night travelling and her morning on campus registering her arrival and picking up her keys, but she hadn't wanted to just dive into the cupboards in case whoever had supplied the coffee was territorial. Nevertheless, she wasn't so desperate for caffeine that she would burn her tongue on the boiling liquid for it.

"And you're an expert on uni life, are you?" Misty commented dryly.

"No. To me it's rumour and heresy. But Solidad is doing a PhD; trust me when I say her word is law."

Misty smiled. "Fair enough. What are you doing, then?"

"First year Coordinating Major. You?"

"First year Theory Major," Misty responded, just as the front door opened. Both their heads turned automatically to look at the new arrivals – for, once again, it was not one but two people who entered, and kicked off their shoes upon seeing the three pairs of shoes neatly lined up next to the door.

A girl who wore a red bandanna with her hair falling down her shoulders either side of it was in front, dragging a suitcase half her height and lugging two shoulder bags. Behind her, a boy wearing a white hat that covered his head, pulling a smaller suitcase and sporting a green rucksack with one single strap crossing over his shoulder and disappearing under his other arm closed the door.

The girl spoke first. "Oh, hello," she called out, pulling her suitcase into the room as she approached them. "I'm May, and this is Brendan. We'll be living with you!"

Misty smiled at the girl's optimism. "Nice to meet you, I'm Misty," she responded.

Drew just raised an eyebrow. "Well, you'll be living with one of us."

May frowned at his amused tone. "What do you mean?"

"Don't worry," Brendan said to May, coming up close behind her and lightly touching her shoulder. To Misty, he said, "Is it alright if we go straight up to put our bags somewhere? It's been a long morning."

"Sure," Misty answered, watching the pair curiously. Were they together? The boy certainly seemed protective of May, but if even Drew and Solidad – already a student of UG – hadn't managed to end up in the same house, how had they managed it?

"You don't have to ask permission," Drew snorted, "this isn't high school."

Misty raised an eyebrow at Drew's tone. He had been friendly to her, and didn't seem like someone who would deliberately start arguments or make trouble. But the way he was acting, it was like he wanted a fight or something. _Boys_, Misty tutted to herself, shaking her head. _Ever a mystery._

"Alright, no need to be snarky, I was just trying to be polite," Brendan shot back.

Misty rolled her eyes. The hackles were raised now, this seemed _exactly_ like high school.

"Don't worry," May said to Brendan, mocking his earlier comment in a gentle tease. "We're all tired after travelling so far, let's just go choose rooms and put our stuff away." She dragged Brendan by the arm, which was no easy feat seeing as she was shouldering two huge bags _and_ a suitcase in the other hand.

"Would you like some help?" Misty offered, standing up.

May glanced up at her, eyes wide. "Oh, are you sure? You don't have to."

Misty smiled. This girl emanated naïvety, but it was endearing rather than annoying, as Misty would have thought it might be. "Of course. I need to give my coffee time to cool down, anyway. Here, I'll take your case. You just take your bags – and the manchild," she said with a grin.

"Hey!" Brendan objected.

May giggled.

"At least someone in this house knows how to get things done," Drew commented. Misty could _feel_ the smirk in his voice. And it pushed the wrong button.

"If you've got nothing better to do, you can take Brendan's case," Misty ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument. "He's got his hands full with the woman getting him up the stairs."

Misty waited a second. No comeback? Excellent. And then she picked up May's suitcase, and led the procession up to the first floor.

Misty and Drew dropped the cases and left May and Brendan to choose their rooms. As they went back downstairs, Solidad emerged from her room and joined them.

"There's a tea on the side for you," Drew informed her, his tone giving away nothing of the order Misty had just instilled in him. But Solidad clearly noticed the abnormality in his behaviour, and she commented on it.

"Thanks, Drew. I hope you made one for yourself too, you deserve it after the manual labour Misty recruited you for."

Misty smiled to herself. Drew's expression morphed into a scowl for the briefest moment before calm reigned once more.

"I did," was his placid reply.

Misty shook her head, returning to her seat on the sofa – only to find it occupied by a young man with dyed purple hair and a dark expression, glaring into the coffee he was sipping. _Misty's coffee._

"Excuse me," Misty said sharply, rooting her feet next to him. "I was sitting there, and that was my coffee."

The stranger didn't look up. "Now I'm sitting here, and now this is my coffee."

Misty gaped. She wasn't someone who usually gaped with her eyes wide and mouth open, but she couldn't not gape at this man's words. _How… how dare he!_

Drew had returned to his spot on the sofa. Misty expected him to be amused at the situation Misty found herself in, but when she glanced at him, she saw he was studying the man with a serious expression.

Solidad approached them with her tea in hand. "Is everything all right?"

"Not really," Misty said, anger coursing through her voice. "This guy has stolen both my seat and my coffee."

Finally, the man looked up. His eyes were the darkest shade of brown that Misty had ever seen – so dark they were almost black – and his lips were a thin line. "Let's be clear. My name is Paul, I study nothing that is anyone's business, and any unattended food or drink becomes mine."

Misty's eyes narrowed into a glare. "Are you seriously inciting the law of _finders keepers_?"

Paul shrugged. "I'm happy to battle for it." His fingers rested on a pokéball at his waist.

Misty raised her eyebrows. "Fine. A battle it is." She reached for her own pokéball, but Solidad stilled her hand with a gentle touch.

"Let's not start our first day here by fighting," the older woman suggested. Her voice had a magically calming quality. "It's nice to meet you Paul. My name is Solidad, and this is Misty. That's Drew. As we're all going to be housemates this year, let's at least try to get along. If I'm not mistaken Misty, that coffee is technically mine. But I bought it for the whole house to share. I'll make you another, if you want?"

Misty shook her head reluctantly. "It's okay. I'll make another myself, I guess."

"Good choice," Paul said, "I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of your friends on your first day."

Misty's hand hit her pokéball so fast the slap could be heard throughout the room. But a look from Solidad sent her slinking into the kitchen to cool off on her own. Solidad was right: it wasn't a good idea to start the year with a fight. But, she would make it her mission to take Paul down a peg or ten. Whether it happened sooner or later depended on how long it took him to piss her off again.

As soon as Paul had finished drinking Misty's coffee, he picked up his luggage – a single, black sports bag that didn't even look full – and disappeared upstairs, presumably to stake his claim on a room and unpack the little he had brought with him.

Wait.

Misty darted after him about five seconds after he'd gone.

"I doubt he's going to move your stuff out of your room!" Drew called after her.

Misty wasn't going to take that chance. She was very territorial. Maybe she could let a coffee go, but her room? That was very definitely _hers_.

She collided with May at the top of the stairs.

"Sorry," Misty gasped, staggering backwards and grabbing onto the banister for balance.

May fell back into Brendan, who was right behind her. He caught her without a pause, and she gave him a sheepish grimace. It was almost as if May fell into him a lot, Misty thought with amusement. If they weren't already a couple, she was certain they soon would be.

"No worries," May said lightly, stepping away from Brendan. "Are you okay?"

Misty nodded and let go of the banister. "Sorry," she repeated, "I was trying to see where Paul was going. The guy with purple hair," she added, realising they hadn't met him yet.

"If you mean the grumpy dude with a death stare, then he went straight up to the second floor," Brendan answered.

Misty sighed with relief.

May gazed at her curiously. "Is everything all right?"

"No. That guy is a jerk. Anyway, let's go back down. At least everyone else here seems nice."

"Except for that Drew dude," Brendan interjected as they all trooped down the stairs.

Misty rolled her eyes. "You men need to grow up," she muttered.

Brendan didn't hear, but May responded with a giggle. "You're not wrong," she agreed.

Upon spotting May and Brendan, Drew stood up. "I'd better get going. Most of my house has probably arrived by now."

"You don't live here?" May asked.

Drew stared at her. He didn't deign to respond, instead heading straight for the door.

"It's rude not to reply when someone's talking to you," May called after him.

Drew slipped his shoes on and glanced over his shoulder for a brief second before opening the door. "Later, Solidad," was all he said, lifting one hand in a sort of wave as he headed out.

May looked at Misty. "Paul isn't the only jerk, it seems."

Misty shrugged, happy to reclaim her spot on the sofa. "Drew's all right. At least he doesn't steal other people's coffee.

May frowned but Brendan distracted her by leading her to sit down. "It could be worse," he pointed out, "Drew could have been our housemate. Imagine having to live with that for a whole year."

"Yeah," May muttered, still disgruntled. "Imagine."

* * *

When Drew entered Corviknight house, he found two people chatting in the living room, and one girl making a sandwich in the kitchen.

"Hi there," greeted the girl on the sofa. She was pretty, with dark blue hair and bright eyes. "I'm Dawn, I'm guessing you're our new housemate!"

"Drew," he nodded, slipping off his shoes.

"Nice to meet you man, I'm Ash!" said the guy next to her. His large black birds-nest hair was as crazy as the enthusiasm in his voice. Drew made a mental note to avoid him in the future, and gave him a brief nod of acknowledgement.

"Is it you who got here before we all did and took the best room?" asked the girl in the kitchen.

Drew raised an eyebrow as he made his way to the kettle. "What gives you that idea?" The kettle was empty. He took it to the sink to refill it.

The girl, who had long, thick brown hair, didn't look up from spreading butter on her bread. "You don't have any stuff with you, so unless you're some random who's walked in off the street, you got here, dropped off your bags, and left before I arrived."

"You're not wrong," Drew responded with a smile. "What's your name?"

"Leaf. And you're Drew Hay-"

Drew's eyes widened, realising she was about to announce exactly who he was, but before she could give it away the front door opened again – and the girl who entered took one look around before her eyes landed on Drew and she _screamed_.

Drew briefly closed his eyes, groaning inwardly.

Ash and Dawn shot up from the sofa, panicked. "What's wrong?" Dawn gasped, running over to the girl who had just dropped to the floor.

Ash looked like he didn't know what to do. "Should we call an ambulance?" he asked, concerned and confused.

Drew shook his head. "She's fine. Starstruck, but fine."

"Starstruck?" Ash echoed, even more confused.

"Give it a second…" Drew drawled.

On cue, the girl rose to her feet, clutching onto Dawn for support, and when her eyes landed on Drew again she… screamed. Again.

"You're giving me a vague sense of déjà vu," Drew told her.

"Y-you're… Drew Hayden," the girl whispered, clutching her heart dramatically.

"Here we go," Drew muttered under his breath.

"This isn't real, there's no way… is this a prank? Did one of my friends do this?" The girl suddenly pushed Dawn away and ran up to Drew, grabbing his shoulders so she could stare wildly into his eyes. "You're an actor, you're pretending to be Drew! There's no way I'm actually living with The Drew Hayden for a whole year!"

"I'm confused," Dawn said, approaching them tentatively. "Who are you?"

"My name is Drew," Drew said, removing the girl's hands from his body. "There's nothing more to tell. If it's all the same to you, I'm going upstairs now."

"Wait!" the girl shrieked.

Drew raised an eyebrow.

"C-can I have your autograph? Wait, I'm going to be living with you for a year, I don't need your autograph. Wait! Yes I do, or my friends will never believe it! Wait! Can I take a picture with you? Wait!"

While she was debating with herself, Drew simply walked away, leaving both the screaming kettle and screaming girl, and he retreated to the safety of his room. He would figure out how to deal with this situation tomorrow. Preferably by transferring into new accommodation. Or, appealing to the uni to get them to make her transfer to new accommodation. He had thought that by coming to Gala he would be able to escape being recognised all the time. But of course he had been put into the same house as a fangirl.

Of fucking course.

* * *

In the kitchen downstairs, Dawn was as lost as ever. She glanced at Leaf over the new girl's head. "Do you know who Drew is?"

Leaf nodded, amusement twinkling in her eyes. "He's a famous Coordinator from Hoenn and the youngest ever Coordinator to win three Grand Festivals in different regions. As you can see, he has a lot of fans."

Dawn gasped. "Of course! I can't believe I didn't recognised him! Every Coordinator knows Drew! I guess I just didn't expect to see him here, so my brain never considered the possibility that it was him…" she trailed off, ashamed.

Leaf grinned, and picked up her ham and cheese sandwich. "You're not going to go crazy too, are you?"

"No, don't worry. But I do feel that I let myself down. As a Coordinator I should have know instantly who he was."

"To be fair, you only glimpsed him for a second when he came in. He went straight for the kettle. It's a shame he never got to make his drink," Leaf said.

The new girl stopped gazing at the staircase and spun around to face Leaf. "I could make him a drink and take it to him!"

Leaf smiled disarmingly. "I think Drew wants some space at the moment. Why don't we all go sit in the living room and get to know each other a bit?"

"O-okay," the new girl stammered, still feeling the effects of being starstruck. She followed Leaf and Dawn over to the sofa, and Ash sat back down too.

"I'm still lost as to what just happened," Ash announced, "but anyways. My name's Ash," he said. Leaf and Dawn added their names, and the girl finally stopped looking so dazed as she settled into a conversation with them.

"I'm Brianna. I'm a Coordinator, like you Dawn."

Dawn giggled. "Better than me, actually. You know your famous Coordinators!"

Brianna laughed shyly. "I guess so. I've been Drew's fan since day one. I used to drag my parents to all his Contests so I could cheer him on, and I guess he's why I became a Coordinator. I want to battle him some day, but I know I'll never be good enough."

"Hey now, anything's possible," Ash cut in. "I might not know anything about Coordinating, but I know that if you work hard you can achieve all your dreams and more."

"You're optimistic," Leaf commented dryly.

"What's wrong with that?" Ash and Dawn asked at the same time. They exchanged a look and laughed. "Jinx!"

Leaf couldn't help but laugh at them both. "Wow, you guys just met and you're already jinxing each other."

"Actually we go way back," Dawn explained. "We used to travel together, before this one decided he wanted to travel different shores." She gave Ash a playful push, and he grimaced in response.

"Sinnoh was nice, but a bit cold for me."

"I'd love to travel to Sinnoh. This is the first new region I've seen that's not Kanto, where I grew up," Leaf said.

Dawn smiled. "Well, you'll have to visit me sometime! It seems like we're gonna become good friends!" Suddenly realising she had accidentally excluded Brianna, who was sitting quietly on the edge of the sofa, she added weakly, "All of you, I mean."

Saved by the door opening, everyone looked around as a young man entered the house. Dawn took one look at his messy blonde hair and fiery eyes and sprang up with a squeal.

"Barry!" she cried, running over to him and enveloping him is a massive hug before he had even closed the door behind him. "You're here! How are you here? I mean I don't care, I'm just happy that you are! It's been so long!"

"Boyfriend?" Leaf asked wryly from the sofa.

"Best friend," Dawn replied, her voice muffled against Barry's shirt.

"Hey, what about me?" Ash objected playfully. "But it's good to see ya, Barry!"

Barry laughed and disentangled himself from Dawn. "Careful, I'll have to fine you if you tear my shirt!"

Dawn stepped back and stuck her tongue out at him. She couldn't help it, he brought out her immature side. "Yep, same old Barry," she quipped.

Not having seen Ash approach them, she jumped when he strode past her to pull Barry into a hug of his own.

Barry gulped. "Can't… breathe…Ash…!"

Ash let him go after a long moment of the taller man gasping for breath, and grinned. "Long time no see man, and I'm sure there's lots to catch up on but ya know what I wanna do?"

Barry unhooked a pokéball from his belt and tossed it into the air, catching it in the same hand. "Battle!"

"Wait a second, you just got here," Dawn objected, inserting herself between the two men like a mole standing between two towering dirt hills of its own creation. "You must be exhausted, at least come and sit for a bit. I wanna know everything that's happened since we last saw each other!"

"Yeah, come sit," Leaf called from the sofa. "I'd like to know how Dawn has two handsome male friends who both ended up in the same residence as her and I have none!"

Brianna giggled softly at this.

Barry glanced over Dawn's head to see who had spoken, and his eyes lit up upon spotting Leaf. "Wow, and who is this pretty lady I have the honour of speaking to?" he asked, bypassing both Dawn and Ash to stand in front of Leaf – and then get down on one knee, take her hand, and kiss it.

Leaf laughed.

Dawn snorted. "Charming. You have time to flirt but not to catch up with your oldest friend," she chastised, coming back to the sofa to sit down.

Ash, realising his hopes of a battle had been quashed, made his way to the kitchen. "Hungry? Thirsty?" he asked Barry.

"All of the above," Barry confirmed.

"You know I bought that food," Leaf called out.

"And you are an angel for letting us eat it," Barry said swiftly, gazing at Leaf with eyes she couldn't say no to.

Dawn scoffed. "Don't fall for his charms Leaf, he's a riot waiting to break out."

Barry turned his wide eyes back to his oldest friend. "You know I'll have to fine you if you keep badmouthing me to pretty girls," he threatened in a tone laced with too much sugar.

Dawn smiled and poked him with her toe in a spot she knew was particularly ticklish. He shrieked and fell to the ground as she replied, "Don't forget, I know _all_ of your weaknesses."

Leaf wasn't sure what she was watching now, but it sure as hell was funny, and she laughed as Barry picked himself up, brushing imaginary dust from his clothes with exaggerated flourish.

"And I know all of yours," he responded cheekily.

There was a moment's pause, in which Barry smirked at Dawn, Dawn's eyes widened, and Leaf pulled her legs up onto the sofa, fearing the fallout.

In the same instance as Barry launched himself towards Dawn, Dawn evacuated her spot on the sofa and darted towards the kitchen. She collided with Ash who narrowly avoided dropping the sandwiches he was carrying while Barry crashed into the sofa.

"Sorry!" Dawn squealed, righting herself.

Ash laughed. "No worries, the sandwiches are fine!"

"Well, as long as the sandwiches are fine," Barry called. Ash made his way to the sofa and put one plate down in front of Barry. Dawn sat down as far away from Barry as possible – just in case.

It was as the boys were tucking in that the door opened again, and everyone looked up expecting their seventh and final housemate to join them. A tall young woman with long pink hair entered, and greeted them with a warm smile.

"Hi, I'm Solidad, a friend of Drew," she introduced herself.

"You're not our other housemate?" Leaf asked.

"Afraid not. I live next door," she responded, entering the living room. "I take it Drew's upstairs?"

Dawn exchanged a look with Leaf. "Wait a second, how do we know you're his friend and not another fangirl? No offense," Dawn added quickly, glancing at Brianna apologetically.

Brianna shrugged. Solidad smiled.

"So, you know who Drew is. I suspect that's why he's hiding in his room," Solidad responded.

"You don't seem like a crazy fangirl," Dawn admitted. "No offense," she tagged on, not bothering to spare Brianna a glance this time. "But maybe you're just really good at hiding your true intentions."

Leaf raised her eyebrows at Dawn's careful scrutiny of the woman before them. "What happened to you, Miss Optimistic?"

"I like to see the best in people, but I will also defend my friends with my life. I mean, I've not really spoken to Drew yet but while we live in this house together we're all a family, and you protect family," Dawn declared.

"She's always been the loyalist friend," Barry interjected through a mouthful of sandwich. "You don't wanna get on her bad side, trust me."

Solidad smiled. "I'm glad you all seem like good people, and I hope we can all be friends. I'm a PhD student, I live in Barraskewda house with some other students who I believe are all first years, but Drew and I go way back."

Before Dawn could respond, Ash stood up. Maybe because he liked making new friends, or maybe because he had finished his sandwich and didn't have anything else to occupy his attention – Dawn suspected it was the lack of sandwich – he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you Solidad, I'm Ash! This is Dawn, Leaf, Barry, and B… Brenda?"

"Brianna," came the quiet correction.

"Oooh," Dawn suddenly gasped. "This is perfect! If there's another house of freshers next door, we should have a party tonight and all get to know each other! I mean, we're all new and don't really know each other yet, right?"

"Great idea!" Ash responded enthusiastically, echoed with a "Yes!" from Barry.

"Let's do it," Leaf agreed. "What do you say, Solidad? Will you be our envoy and float the idea of a party with your housemates?"

"Solidad doesn't do parties," interjected a voice from the stairs.

Dawn turned her head to see Drew emerging into the room, apparently unfazed by the number of people collating in the living room.

"Don't I?" Solidad asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you?" Drew asked, holding onto his cool.

Solidad looked at Dawn, who nodded encouragingly. "It's a good idea, it would be a good ice breaker if nothing else."

"So, you'll do it?" Dawn asked.

"Sure. Why don't you all come next door this evening? Drew knows which house is it." Solidad turned to leave, but Drew followed her to the door.

"Leaving all ready?" he asked.

"It seems I have a party to prepare for," his friend replied.

Drew watched as she left the house, and closed the door gently behind her. When he turned around, he found all eyes in the living room on him. Raising a hand, he flicked his hair out of his eyes. "Can I help you?"

"Do you wanna join us? We're all getting to know each other," Ash invited, being the first to find his voice.

Drew began walking back towards the stairs. For a moment, it seemed as if he wasn't going to respond. But he paused before leaving, to say one final thing.

"Apparently there's a party tonight. I'm sure I'll get to know some of you then."


End file.
